ask at forum at descent-world.co.uk maybe …

All been done before 23 Skidoo, Test Department and Eisteinzende Neubatten all back in the lovely nights at the Hacienda… the real weirdos were Laibach

12 months 3g charged everyday in my trouser pockets balls still intact, do you also drive down the road looking at crashed cars thinking you won't be getting one of them next…. or do you presume the driver was a twunt…

speechless

"The only CAD packages don't run on Macs?" you'd better go tell the Sir Richard Rogers Partnership where they run a mac house so you think he must have been using etcha sketch to design all his award winning buildings then.

CAD should not be too processor intensive unless you start 3d rendering.

Those pointing to Dell's are quite right, seem good bargains as hardware goes. But you are limited to running Windows or Linux whilst the argument there is good free software out there from the likes of Google although partially true, none of these do reflect the Platinum quality of the Apple OS itself and the free Apple iLife applications that comes bundled with every mac for music making and play back, video editing, photographs.

From the quality of the interface, the effortless ability to load music pictures and videos onto the machine, then pull a song from your music library into a video project editing some video taken on a video cam or compact digital camera, add some photo stills, blend any amount of material you can find on the internet then add further soundtrack from your own compositions before exporting out to a very efficient build in dvd production application. There is nothing in the pc world with anything like it without blowing a few hundred quid on some lite versions of Adobe's software packages and even then they are still not as good.

The system relies on built in global open standards for file saving including mp4 for audio / video png for images and pdf, no need to get sold or freeware pdf writers as Microsoft will not bundle any software that it has its own software working in its own proprietary formats. Also you will not be needing to worry about anti-virus software or getting trojans and other filth removed at a later date, which taking a look at often friends who seem very cautious with pc's appear to an often suffer major frustration with owning windows based hardware through downtime caused by infections of some kind or other.

If you ever find you have to go to Autocad you can at a cost run windows on a mac laptop, but if you are proposing to do pro grade cad then even with windows you should be thinking of closer to a grand for a lap top.

Depends when you are going and how long you have before Anglesey Do both they are 30 minutes apart, if she would rather avoid climbing and would like a comfort break with facilites Llandegla might be better than Penmachno. You could always park in Llandegla Village and ride over to the forest entering via Offa's Dyke from near the Plough Inn on the A525 with a 15 minute warm up ride avoiding any queue in the car park

Ha Ha Ha . .I'll get it in first Apple and if you are skint get one of the cheap white polycarb macbooks…

anyway no doubt 100 posters will be along soon to point out my heresy and that you can buy a compaq for 300 rips at Morrisons. Indeed you can but being fair the mac should do all you ask without little need to trouble any little grey cells giving you more time to go out doing student type things or biking…

but now I will leave you to read messages from the ones who disagree most strongly to anyone who gets around the endless chore of installing drivers and removing virii by avoiding windows like the plague.. unless they are followers of a certain little penguin

yep Cap'n over in the North West of the US of A, enjoying every minute but still hankers after the old times understandably.

clearly not old skool and never read MBUK much when you were a child then did you Atlaz :)

sadly or luckily they don't get the dave commentary in the States… If I said the photo was for Sophie Brooks would anyone be a bit more forthcoming with a pic?

having worked a lot with the Forestry Commission with mtb access in Wales, if the trail says closed than treat it as such, The FC are famous for being over sensitive when it comes to health and safety, not least because the industry has one of the highest accident records.

If MTB riders are seen to make personal choices as to whether they take heed of notices that are in force and the likelihood is they will act by introducing more severe restrictions widening the area rather than saying to riders its ok to take pot luck and try your chance.

After the race fatality at Clocaenog a few years ago, FC Wales policy is usually suspend all harvesting operations in the vicinity of any bike races not least to ensure contractors vehicles will not then be needing to drive about the roads.

4x bikes are built for pumping and styling around a formed course that's what they do well, no need for long forks or rear suspension…

this is the bike Joost Wichman just picked up to ride at the 4x Worlds in Australia.

hardly the kind of bike geometry that would appeal to most trail centre riders seeking a burly substitute to an xc bike be it full sus or hard tail, no more so than to expect a foreplay would make you want to leave a stiffee in the garage next time you go to a trail centre.

The only persons likely to benefit from hyping the trail prowess's of full sus 4x bike in my view most likely to be those who make them and probably have a warehouse full of unsold bike they need to shift either because their geometry is not suitable for your average serious 4x rider or no matter how rocky Saxena builds worlds courses the likes of Wichman will turn up on a hard tail running 100mm and Larson TT's

LMAO Brakes … great hammer / nail interface

nope #1 is KITYFS, reducing the risk of getting caught significantly

shhh there are no masts there are no paths leading to them should they exist…… seriously though the mountain is home to those bleedin' rare black grouse and since over half the uk population live within 20 miles of Llandegla all the heather topped mountains have a high grade of european conservation designation that means any unauthorised activity on the mountain is an offence under wildlife conservation and habitat preservation legislation as opposed to being mere trespass.

There are plans are under way to create a legal link route to join Llandegla to the Horseshoe pass via these non existant masts. The success of this operation will be heavily dependant on getting consent from the landowners and nature conservation bodies to build a dedicated and managed route.

If you go for a ride up on the moors you might note a few more bods than usual hanging around taking an interest in your activity, over the last few months it is becoming increasingly evident some Llandegla haterz are monitoring and taking records of unauthorised access by bikers with it is likely they will try to associate the cause of this activity directly with the mountain biking in the forest. If they apply pressure through european habitat law on the nature agencies to take action, that might force the forest operators to at least take action to help stop this activity if not even impact on the operation within the forest. Since the Forestry are active partners in the conservation program the illegal riding it also puts them in an awkward position if they are proven to be part cause of unlawful activity.

Of course nobody rides these none existnat tracks but there are even less people who should think it a wise move to spread or share news that might be seen to be increasing the numbers of riders out there looking to find and use them…. first rule of sustainable cheeky trails is ………..

for ebay sale…

"ONLY FRAME AND FORK ARE INCLUDED" — thank god

made me go eBaying … anyone got views on one of these ?
fat chance shockabilly

all ready been said a few times here is the proof

Have a copy of the UCI rule book covering all cycle events although A5 it is about as fat as a couple of phone directories.. the largest section taking nearly a half is on the rules of gymnastic cycling…

the kind of niche recognition single coggers would die for

The UCI have been doing their hardest to up the anti on world cup tracks to suit fs 4x bikes ( no doubt given their current habit of trousering up to manufacturers needs rather than the riders), however the winningest of riders more often than not stick like glue to their hard tails as they are more than sufficient for 4x. UK 4x scene remains strongly driven by hard tails and it ensures that at grass roots level racing remains a cheap sport unlike the ongoing trend with downhill.

No doubt the bike manufacturers left with a warehouse full of unsold 4x FS bikes will be massaging the media to encourage any stories to create a new market to convert them to cash and there are riders longing to be sucked into the next post enduro hype. Although low they are often rather too long to be an ideal bike for smaller riders. I have though seen many successfully modified for women seeking a more durable mid range fs bike

You are not wrong every one coverts it, as well as the path that heads north to the Roman Steps however, it could be the mini pearl pass for MTB's in North Wales if open although the old coach road over Diffws ridge is good enough for anyone looking to storm a pass. Also if you are flexible riding there is the FFordd Du the old Monks road crossing the west side of Cader Idris which if the cloud is high offers good views over Cardigan Bay

Not sure he probably will make a better living riding in the US mixing AMA nationals and Supercross guest spots and hitting the odd GP when his commitments allow, since this was the first time the World Champs were held outside of Europe and the start list was a bit more pacific centric than usual, the result may have been different if held at a Euro venue. I guess it depends on his sponsors choice, the name Tomac is not quite the crowd puller it would be in a cycling event but I would be surprised if he was not one of Troy Lee's favourites so they may well feel he is a worthy clothes horse to make a global star. Honda will be a lot more clinical about what they want him to do.

twitter whore!

Depends… It's an essential visit and ride you should not miss although after being there you will be disillusioned with british mud forever. Be careful about riding mid day it gets very very hot and dehydration is a major problem. Ride early morning or evening.. it stays hot well into the late autumn the bike shops are usually helpful as to the best route for your abilities. One thing to note is if you see the trails going up some impossibly steep rock face .. ride it you will be amazed at the amount of traction or stiction the rock gives tyres, and keep the front end lite when skimming over the sand pools

"Llanbedr"? I know the path you mention… there are ancient pitched stone steps on some of the route and would be a hike in most places although locals suggest it was once used with ponies a few hundred years ago. However like most of the Rhinogs if the farmers catch you on a bike they can/will be very unpleasant, even if you speak welsh, which they feel justified in an effort to stop the spread of biking out of Coed y Brenin. The National Park Wardens will not be much dissimilar in behaviour.

Current plans to create a new route around Llyn Trawsfynydd and to open up the old railway lines to cyclists in the area are dependant on the support of the local landowners and national park and their support is often alienated by what they see as a creeping cancer of cyclists without permission on their land that follows any new mtb trails being opened.

Instead of using this pass, you can cross over the old coach road that uses Pont Scethin and the southern Rhinogs and get to Coed y brenin via BontDdu although you might find the return trip a bit wearing although rewarding.
found these on geograph.org.uk which are representative of the good and bad

Zaskar… bad spelling is often jibbed at here and I am as guilty of bed spilling as anyone jujuu however was poking an insult whilst badly spelling it so was fair game.

I am more than capable at telling the difference between trail side salvage and deliberate fly tipping. A lot of these trails are cut in areas that were remote countryside. Being involved in the process of their creation from trail free land we make a lot about the sustainability of making provision of mtb trails yet it appears it is frequently possible to harvest a skip full of rubbish off them. ClimachX was produced by EcoDyfi who are sustainability activists and provided decent recycling facilities in the car park. Some riders evidence points out to are that vacuous and self centred they feel as we are all doing our bit no one need bother with their filthy habits. The trail builders make no money from the facility it relies on an honesty box which I notice like the one at Penmachno is often ignored by departing riders. Why should the trail wardens whilst showing their care for the trails with drainage repairs be required to pack out a sackful of gels and old inner tubes.

I see no reason not to post about this on the forum and feel doing so has been worthwhile as the point has clearly been noted, caused some contention with a few, but probably read by a lot more who took the comment without need to disagree.

Raising the profile of the issue is very important and rather than being smug at picking up my own and others filth, if even one rider reading this decides from now on to quit the filthy habit of creating trail litter and make a conserted effort to pick up their rubbish I will be more than pleased at a days work. The forestry Commission spends £100,000 + a year across its estate clearing litter left by visitors, it would be so much better if that could be saved and spent on improving facilities to increase the publics enjoyment of the forest

IMBA Trail Code

2. Leave No Trace.

Be sensitive to the soil beneath you and practice low-impact cycling. Wet and muddy trails are more vulnerable to damage, so when the trail is soft, consider riding alternative trails.
Keep to existing trails and don't create new ones.
Take your litter home with you!

IMBA code for riders

jujuuk whilst you continue working out the amazing differences between your and you're… the new conti tube i picked up elsewhere to dispose of later, was aside the track and had a snake bite so unless it's arsewipe of an owner suffered a double tragedy on the day of both loosing a inner tube they had packed whilst failing to notice it had a snakebite well then kind of sinks your pisspour made point…

OK fair cop, not all city slickers are litter louts and of course farmers are eg who leave silage and fertilzer bags about everywhere. However the occasions I have encountered a biking litter lout in the act, they tend to get all defensive about their birth right to litter and the right of others to suggest they clean it up in accents most often associated with city areas of the North West or England. The farmers always tend to be local colloquial.

I presume those of you being humorously defensive of litter bugs also probably suffers the noxious traits of a person who relishes others telling racist jokes so they can snigger at them…

I often find with two sheepdogs here that slipping a metal spoon into the hottest water you can find a quick swipe of the hot spoon at the implant point causes the grub to loosen as it starts to feel the heat and then flop into the spoon.. the dogs never fuss and usually are expecting a stroke, by the time they realise it is not, the hot spoon is gone so is the tick with all it's bits

Lance says on twitter that he cant fix punctures to save his life, if he flats he calls for the car… still it seems he did not ride alone and thanks to Trek had a few selfless friends with him who helped pull him along… er in road racing they have a name for such selfless riding companions…. Wiens rode alone shame he did not have Contador to help him

That bridleway sounds dangerous …have you not thought of writing to the council and asking them to repair it? ;)

Cussons .. same company as Imperial Leather … Rather than the CEO it's would normally be more likely someone in the ad agency who looks after the branding although speaking to Pat at SITS he says they are very keen on mtb and running and are great sponsors.
click here for more info on their sponsorship[/url]

I also noticed a lot of hard tails rolling out of transition in relation to full sus, and quite a few 100% rigid.

I was amazed also at the numbers of bikes that had V brakes, considering they are more or less extinct in UK XC racing. There were a few models of bikes that had more than a few years of riding on the clock, not to mention some of those Halford suspension bikes everyone here would suggest should not be ridden off road that were being ridden with some enthusiasm and appearing to survive longer than some of the noted broken boutique bikes I saw being carried around.

I missed last year so cannot say about the carnage only a number of riders who clearly were greatly enjoying the change and suggested they were very close to not entering after the duress of last years event almost putting them off events so maybe that's why numbers were down rather than the economy.

Probably in the end the lower numbers meant the course flowing especially in the first bit of wood giving us those great memories with the sun of how great it was, which means next year the riders will all come back and we all start cursing because we were blocked and hemmed in by too many other riders on the course wallowing in the mud :)

mmm i for one won't be handing in my old legal natural routes so anyone can hand me back man made stuff in exchange no sirree, no not at all chatsworth… but if offered extra new legal dedicated tracks on the condition that riders respect current laws of access, I would accept because of the benefit those who dont or cant read maps or GPS from longer scaletrix rides. There by increasing the numbers of accountable riders who eventually will help bring about a more fundamental change in access laws in the Mountains with greater equity for cyclists… those who simply feel they can steal access only perpetuate the distrust and lengthen the delay of a worth while change.

In the meantime I can only pray that some time soon the Welsh Assembly break us free of England and the archaic feudal Norman land laws the English have had imposed on us since Edward 1 arrived. A direct result of this legal gift was those who became the new landowners being so seriously misled for 1000 years, that they came to believe the saxon tongue that suggested they alone had the right to control who was on the land of Wales rather than the past celtic culture where those gifted to speak the language of heaven could go about the country as they pleased, subject to causing no harm or damage, and would find those who farmed the land offering hospitality of accomodation after dark as a matter of obligation…. until they crossed the English border where they were quite often made to be outlaws simply because of their language or place of birth.

And you wonder what the locals are all talking about when you enter our shops….

No high horses and wont be camping up there either….

Zokes .. If only I could explain, it is an interesting situation.. I dont really know it's origin … possibly military, there were a lot of American Regiments in North Wales during WWII and needed lots of training, many mountain cart tracks such as the one over the three peaks at the horseshoe pass near Llangollen originated from these US Army Jeep tracks, they never became rights of way other than the road passing from World's End to Minera which the yanks tarmaced after the war as thanks for been welcomed by the locals.

I note that my Garmin Oregon GPS mapping shows many tracks including ones in Caersws forest which are private forest roads used for the downhill racing that the farmer made himself, The OS maps are generally quite good for defining both rights of way and public roads on maps in this area they have only ever recorded it as a physical feature and never assigned any public right of way to it.

I would doubt anyone has seen a recreational 4×4 up there as it's a shoot on sight management strategy for any of the SNP militia who are often seen loitering about in their white landrovers as motorbikes are a regular problem on Conwy Mountain and on Drum, as one poster points out these guys are a whole lot greater grade of unreasonable than the NT wardens who are mostly seasonal and gap year students.

There are a number of well used rides in this area not all are open legally to cyclists and are either footpaths or nothing. . having had meetings with the SNP and County Council to talk about trying to regularise access to some of them, meetings generally seem to suggest they consider unauthorised use by mtbs is predominently local riders who don't benefit by aggravating the landowners, numbers remain minimal and so do not pose a threat so it is easier to turn a blind eye.. if use levels increases or rider behaviour turns for the worse then the situation would be reviewed. I figure the more online route hawkers and web sites featuring the ride as some kind of off road Alton Towers that day of reckoning will come all the sooner.

Before the usual dawn chorus of those braying to suggest we all ignore it and ride anyway, they also might want to note that current plans to build more mtb trails in Snowdonia with 4 or 5 local enterprise groups partly in competition to secure a lot of EU funding to do it, it will be important to have the local councils and national park supporting the plans as they both have the capacity to veto and withhold the needed match funding. If they think opening up more trails just increases the number of visiting mountain bikers who show little respect and increasing acts of trespass on private land in protected landscapes, it is harder to make the case to get the support from the councillors and committees who will have an eye on keeping their local residents as happy as much as eyeing any earnings from incoming visitors

Bottles of Whisky going on holiday what ever next…

I'd be suspecting the terrorists would be using either ferries or private boats to get to the Balearics, the Basques are seafarers after all. They are bombing all the time however targets like the 10:15- Madrid to Valladolid train just does not seem to catch the attention of the UK or global media as much as a bomb in a bin in Majorca

could they aracer.. .did you just read the tattle here or did you check out boardmens twits…. if you have an issue about the dimensions or size of bikes they make Pro's race on here is Pat McQuaids phone number +41 24 468 58 11 He'd probably love to hear your views. My own road bike is a Gios ex tour team bike made in steel and still alive unlike much of that carbon composite crap they ride these days…

lance talks out of his ass.. it would be a mistake to go lapping his words up with your own tongue

It is virtually the Cyffylliog Challenge route minus a few bits that were by permission only, replaced by something different and legal. mostly it is on forest road with some tarmac. It is not comparable to the mtb centre trails however it is a good ride for training and has good elavation profile. Its also quiet and you should have a peaceful ride. The only change I would suggest is that you add the Alwyn Trail which is a clockwise trail around the Alwen not in existence when this route was published. If the weather is good it has great views across to the Clwydians and Snowdonia. There is a cafe at brenig and One Planet Adventure from Llandegla are now running bike hire from there.

Another option might be to ride the clwyds and do almost the delyn which has more natural off road but no modern man made trail like the Hiraethog rides for now

two be fair those £1 snap on bells from tescos are ideal for smug 'ting ting' moments… worked well at SITS at the weekend when a couple of presumably 'riders wives' walking the pooch through the singletrack decided only after the last resort bell ringing that their number was up and had to hop out of the way….

the only marked trail is the family freindly ' Alwyn Trail' which is just ass it says on the tin… better suited for a beast of a winter night ride when its usually grim up there… the hiraethog trails are great if you are there abouts anyway but if you are travelling half way across britain t odo them I'd leave them until you are next in the area with some spare time. There is also the downhill course at Gasnach if open after forestry work, there is some great riding at Cloceanog / hiraethog sadly the best way to enjoy it was on the now legendary but vanished cyffylliog ride….